Cooking For The Holidays

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Stay Cool Cooking Your Turkey DinnerWhat makes a normally calm home chef completely lose it?
Answer: Holiday Entertaining.
Frankly, it's a feat of culinary dexterity to have every part of a large meal, like those served on Thanksgiving or Christmas, arrive at table in unison and piping hot. It's perhaps even more demanding to serve such a meal while donning one of those "it was no effort at all" smiles. Who's kidding who? How many times have you seen talented cooks cloister themselves (and a few unlucky souls) in the kitchen so as not be distracted by friends... read more

"Fruitcake is a geological homemade cake," Charles Dickens
When I was a kid I hated fruitcake. Ok, hate is a pretty strong word, an intense dislike is probably more appropriate, and this is coming from someone who's had a sweet tooth since the day they were born. But to be honest I didn't really gave it a chance.
One of the sticky little blocks always seemed to appear around holiday time, I'd spot it stashed in the back of the refrigerator. I wouldn't eat it even when there were no other sweets in the house. The way its plastic wrapping stuck to it kind... read more

Written By Chef Peter Martin
Let's face facts; we have all had our fair share of kitchen disasters, even us “professionals”, though we might not admit it. From food being too salty, to scorched soups, to broken hollandaise, disasters do, and will, happen. The good news is that many of these so-called “disasters” can be fixed relatively easily, with only a few that are beyond salvaging. Below is a list of some of the most common kitchen disasters and how to fix them.
Too Salty
From thinking the recipe said tablespoons instead of teaspoons, to being distracted and... read more

Written By Chef Peter Martin
When it comes to Thanksgiving, I admit it, I am a staunch traditionalist. Fluffy mashed potatoes, glistening ruby red cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes slumbering beneath a blanket of toasty marshmallows and stuffing redolent of sage, all surrounding the centerpiece, a beautiful golden turkey with crackling skin and moist, tender flesh. In my opinion it doesn't get much better than that.
As a chef I have often times been tempted to try and improve on this theme by bringing new techniques and exotic ingredients to the... read more

Safety First When Deep Frying A Turkey
A few words on safety:
1.) The cooking equipment must be set up in a clear level area away from buildings and things that can catch fire. Nothing puts a damper on the holiday season liking burning your place to the ground. And it has far reaching effects in ruining the holiday for others: an insurance adjuster is now going to be called away from their family, a few firefighters are going to have to miss their holiday meal thanks to the inferno that was your home. So please, follow the safety advice: set up in a flat... read more